Wall mural “Interpretations of Oakland”@ Oakland neighborhood - Pittsburgh, PA
Artist Jon Laidacker composes pictures within pictures in Interpretations of Oakland, located at the heart of the Oakland community on Forbes Avenue. The first layer of this piece is a depiction of the Strand Building, the very site of the mural as it would have been seen in the 1930s. Superimposed on this black and white image are the portraits of two of Oakland’s key historical figures: Fred Rogers and Mary Schenley.
The prominent image of Fred Rogers, better known to the world as Mister Rogers, occupies the center right portion of the mural. From 1968 to 2001, Mister Rogers broadcast his legendary children’s television program from PBS station WQED located on Fifth Avenue in Oakland, only a short distance from the mural. In 1889, Schenley bequeathed a large portion of her family estate overlooking central Oakland to the City of Pittsburgh; it is known today as Schenley Park. Finally, a collection of snapshots give us a view of contemporary Oakland and its varied residents and attractions. From the businesses lining Forbes Avenue to the Carnegie Museums, the universities and the restaurants—Oakland has it all, and it’s all here in the mural.
Wall mural “Interpretations of Oakland”@ Oakland neighborhood - Pittsburgh, PA
Artist Jon Laidacker composes pictures within pictures in Interpretations of Oakland, located at the heart of the Oakland community on Forbes Avenue. The first layer of this piece is a depiction of the Strand Building, the very site of the mural as it would have been seen in the 1930s. Superimposed on this black and white image are the portraits of two of Oakland’s key historical figures: Fred Rogers and Mary Schenley.
The prominent image of Fred Rogers, better known to the world as Mister Rogers, occupies the center right portion of the mural. From 1968 to 2001, Mister Rogers broadcast his legendary children’s television program from PBS station WQED located on Fifth Avenue in Oakland, only a short distance from the mural. In 1889, Schenley bequeathed a large portion of her family estate overlooking central Oakland to the City of Pittsburgh; it is known today as Schenley Park. Finally, a collection of snapshots give us a view of contemporary Oakland and its varied residents and attractions. From the businesses lining Forbes Avenue to the Carnegie Museums, the universities and the restaurants—Oakland has it all, and it’s all here in the mural.